Feed-water regulator.



A. R. DODGE. FEED WATER REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1912.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

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Witnesses Hi6 04th orneg orruon.

AUSTIN R. DODGE, SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, A SSIGNOR TO GENERAL FLEGTBIOCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.-

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

Specificatin tters Patent. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed December 20, 1912. Serial No. 737,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN R. DODGE, a

citizen of the Uni States, residing at Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed-Water .Regu-- 1 lators, of which the following isaspecifi- I cation. v

to cooperate with a means sensitive to changes in water level, both ofsaid means having control of the admission of water to the boiler,either directly or indirectly, as may be desired.

The accompanying drawing an end elevation of a pair of boilers equippedwith the invention, the mechanism having a direct control of the watersupply.

Twohorizontal boilers 1, 2 are shown delivering steam into a header 8from which the main 4 runs to the point of steam consumption. A pipe 5supplies water to said boilers, the feed pump and the connection to saidboilers being omitted for the sake of simplicity in the drawing. Avalvefi controls the feed pipe 5, and the stem 7 of said I valve ispivotally attached to one end of a floating lever 8 Whose other end ispivotally connected to a hollow head 9 in which is inserted one end ofan inclined tube 10, of material expansible by heat. The other and lowerend of said tube is fixed in a support 11 and connects with the passage11 therein which in turn is connected with a small chamber- 12 standingat about the same level as the head 9. Surrounding the tube 10 is acooling device, such for example asthe spiral fin 13, which affords alarge radiating surface.

In the steam main 4: is an impact nozzle 14 which is connected by a pipe15 with the hollow'head 9, and is preferably provided .with a means forpermitting said'pipe to expand and contract without affecting itsposition; such for example as the horizontal U bend 16.v The chamber 12is also connected with the steam main b the pipe 17. The entering end ofpipe 1 forms the trailing or low pressure side of a device which createsa pressure difference which bears a definite relation to the rate offlow of steam through the main, the impact nozzle forming the leading orhigh pressure side thereof. In

other words, the pipe 15, expansible tube 10,

and pipe 17 form in substance a U-tube havng its two ends connected intothe steam main through an impact nozzle and an orifice. When steam isflowing through the main there will be set up a difference in pressurebetween the two ends of the U-tube, which difference is proportional tothe rate of flow. When in operation, steam enters -the tube 10 throughthe nozzle 14 and con.

denses therein tending to fill the same With water. The diflerence inpressure on the two ends of the tube,set up by the flow of steam,

will tend to force this water out through the pipe 17 against the statichead therein, and it will assume a level in the tube 10 due to thispressure diiferenc'e which is proportional to the rate of flow.- Ofcourse steam will be continuously condensing to a greater or less extentin the tube 10 and the excess of water thus formed will be spilled outthrough the end of the pipe 17 over into the main. The pressure of thesteam due to its velocity as it makes impact upon the nozzle Will forcesaid Water to the lower portion of said tube and up into the chamber 12.The level of this body of water in the tube will vary with said pressureand consequently with the rate of flow of the steam through the main 4.More or less of the tube will thus be exposed to the temperature of thelive steam, which will cause a greater or less longitudinal expansion ofthe tube, as thecase may be, and said expansion will vary with the rateof steam flow. This will produce a movement of the head 9 and willactuate the floating leverS. In order that this movement may open orclose the valve 6 and thus regulate the amount of water feeding intothe'boilers, a fulcrum is provided for said lever at a pointintermediate between the stem 7 and the other end of the lever. Toafford perfect freedom of movement, thelever is slotted at 18 forengagement by one arm of a bent lever 19 which is fulcrumed on anadjustable support, such as fore vary with said pressure.

the rockarm 20 pivoted at 21- and connected to a rod 22 which passesthrough a standard, suchas the base of the hollow head 11,

and is provided with a screw threaded end.

and at its top with the steam space ofsaid boilers. The point ofattachment of the pipe 29 is coincident with the center gage cock 31. i

The operation is as follows When by evaporation the water in the boilersdrops below the center gage of the water column in the receptacle 30 andsteam from the upper half of said receptacle passes through the pipe 29to the expansion tube 26, saidv 25 tube becomes expanded by the heat andcauses the bent lever 19 to actuate the floating lever 8, which fulcrumson its upper end and pulls open the valve 6 to admit water to theboilers. With the rise of the water line,

sealed and the steam supply to the expansion tube 26 is cut ofl". Thetube, deprived of the heat required to maintain it expanded, contracts,and acts through the levers 19 and 8 to close the valve 6 again. Thismode of regulating the feed water is not of my in vention, being alreadyin well-known use. 1

The parts which Ihave added are those first described above, whereby theflow of steam through the main 4 may regulate the feed water. Theoperation of these parts is as follows: The tube 10 is always in aheated condition, but the amount of its expansion varies with the lengthof the portion exposed to the live steam entering through the pipe 15;this length varying with the velocity of the steam flow and consequentlythe pressure set up in said tube upon the water of condensation therein,whose level will there- VVhen the steam flow increases, the water willbe forced lower down in said tube, and a longer portion will be exposedto the steam, thereby causing the tube to expand more lengthwise.

This movement is communicated to the fioating lever 8 which willfulcrumon the bent lever 19 and pull the valve 6 open to admit more water tomake up for the faster rate of evaporation, due to the increased demandupon the boilers. When the demand slacks G5 to'the center gage line, andit should drop the free opening at the center gage becomes below thatline, then the expansion tube 26 will also come into play and add itsefiect to produce a wider opening of the valve 6. The two devices thussupplement each other in cas of need, while they act independently whenthe conditions are such that either one or the other becomes necessaryto .meet those conditions.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the'principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the appa'ratus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. The combination with a steam boiler 35 and'a steam main connectedtherewith, of a feed water pipe for the boiler, a valve controlling theflow of Water therethrough, means responsive to the level of the waterin the boiler for regulating said valve, and means responsive to therate of flow of steam from the boiler for also regulating said valve,said last named means comprising an expansible tube having its oppositeends con- I nected to the main through a device which creates a pressuredifference which is proportional to the rate of flow of steamtherethrough.

2. The combination with a steam boiler and a steam main connectedtherewith, of a feed water pipe for the boiler, means for regulating theflow of water through said pipe, and means responsive to the rate offlow of steam through the main for controlling said regulating means,comprising a tube of expansible material, pipes connecting the ends ofsaid tube with the main, and means therein associated with the pipes forcreating a pressure difference which bears a definite relation to therate of flow of steam me through the main.

3. The combination with a steam boiler and a steam main connectedtherewith, of a feed water pipe therefor, a valve controlling the flowof water therethrough, a floating 115 lever connected to said valve, anexpansion tube responsive to variations in the water level in saidboiler connected to said lever, and a second expansion tube alsoconnected to said lever, said second tube being inclined 12c and havingits two ends connected into the main through a device which creates apressure difference on the tube proportional to the rate of fiow ofsteam through the main whereby said tube will tend to fill with water 1of condensation and will be exposed to the temperature of the steam to agreater or less extent according to the rate of flow.

4. The combination with a steam boiler and a steam main connectedtherewith, of a 0.

feed Water pipe therefor, a valve controlling the flow of Water throughthe same, an inclined tube of expansible material connected tosaid'valve, an impact nozzle in the steam main connected with the upperend of said tube, and a pipe connecting the lower end of said tube Withsaid main whereby said tube will tend to fill'with Water ofcondensation,

the level of Which will depend upon the rate. of flow of steam throughthe main.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day ofDecember, 1912. Y AUSTIN R. DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

' BENJAMIN B. HULL,

HELEN ORFORD.

